If you want to be a great business leader then you’ll have to be ok with going against perceived wisdom, which states that, in the name of fairness, you must treat everyone the same. If you pursue this approach you will almost certainly fail to get the most from your team. Each of them will have different personality types and strengths and backgrounds, which will mean they respond to management in unique ways. It is your job to find out what each employee responds to use their unique recipe to forge a powerful bond that will mean they are prepared to go above and beyond if you ask them to – because you know what makes them tick

2. Clear communication

Confused or doubtful staff are terrible for productivity and damaging for morale. For this reason you must develop outstanding communication habits. Communicate what you expect clearly, communicate your values, your aspirations, and if there is a problem make sure you communicate early to avoid a mountain becoming a molehill.Building on tip number 1, do not communicate with everyone the same. If you must censure someone make sure you understand what they will respond best to, be it a quiet word or a public dressing down. Finally, make sure you are regularly and passionately communicating the big picture. More on the big picture later.

3. Cherish results not methods

Great Business Leaders trust their staff to get the job done. If you have done your job well and clearly communicated what needs to be achieved then it is time to let your staff get on with it. Your role is to support and mentor and hold them accountable for the end result. It is not your place to tell them exactly how you want it done. Each of your staff bring unique strengths and weaknesses to the table. It is for you to cultivate synergy within the team, rather than trying to control and inform every procedure, process and strategy attempted.

A gardener does not tell the flower how fast to grow, they merely water it and ensure it has sufficient sunlight and trust that the innate talents of the flower will do the rest.

4. Don’t be afraid to K.I.S.S. with employees

Jobsworths are more than their job’s worth. What appraising and feeding back with your team members Keep It Super Simple. For a progress evaluation to be effective it does not need to plunge into complicated stats and key performance indicators. Those can all be useful, but they are for you to digest and shape into feedback that is clear, concise and has actionable steps they can take to improve.

5. Sweat the small stuff

When it comes to establishing a thriving, supportive working atmosphere, be very clear what you expect and act immediately to iron out any transgressions. The line between banter and bullying is razor thin, so it is vital that you are vigilant. Team divisions and bad morale will sap energy and cause performance to whither quicker than a rose left in the desert sun.

Be proactive. Reward those who make an effort to contribute to team wellbeing and communicate clearly to divisive influences the benefits to them of being a team player.

6. Know yourself

As important as it is to know your staff and understand how you can relate to each of them in the most appropriate way, it is also vital that you become fascinated with understanding yourself. What are the triggers that will cause you to act irrationally? In what circumstances do you feel least comfortable? In what areas might your own stubborn adherence to a principle or concept actually be limiting growth?

Conversely, what makes you great? Where are you really able to bring you’re A-Game to the table? What do you have to do to be in that zone more often?

The more you can regularly check in with questions like these, the more likely you’ll be able to remain in a peak state to help your staff.

7. Measure obsessively

If you know your staff and you know what you are trying to achieve then you should be able to know what to measure. It may be the particular ways each staff member is appraised for their performance, or the key numbers or customer responses you look for as a gauge of overall progress and success.

Whatever the metric, it is essential it is the right one and that you measure it obsessively. It is vital to have the right measure for the same reason it is vital that a chef must measure customer feedback instead of how many burnt steaks he can produce in an hour. The reason for diligently measuring the right metrics that you know will show where you’re at as a team is that it affords you, the manager the opportunity to provide clear, simple and early feedback and praise or encouragement where needed.

8. Share value

One great way of really getting your team on board and inspiring them to strive ever harder for you is to recognise them in ways they will appreciate. This is why it is so important to understand the unique make up of each of your staff members. It can be as simple as sending them a link to a non-work related article you think they might like, or taking the time to casually find out when it is their children’s birthday and then surprising them with a small token they can take how…or giving them the afternoon off to take their child for a treat.

Tiny acts like this will reap massive rewards in loyalty and effort if ever things do get tight and you need to ask them to do that little bit extra.

9. Stay humble

Your staff are human. They most certainly want to feel like they are being managed by a human. Therefore, accept that there will be times when you get it wrong. Apologise. The more your staff can align with you as a person, the more they will respond to you positively.

The autocratic management style of the 80s is out dated in today’s fast-moving, lean, dynamic landscape. Authenticity will win the day every time. Authenticity breeds trust, and trust breeds loyalty and caring. A great soundbite to remember is that “none of us is smarter than all of us”. That includes you! The more you can be open and receptive to the ideas and opinions of your staff, the more the team as a whole will benefit and the more they will individually and collectively take ownership for the results they generate.

It all starts with you being happy with being you.

10. Share the big picture

The final step to successful management is to know and communicate the big picture. What is the great work your team is involved in? What are you collectively striving to achieve that goes far beyond money and quarterly balance sheets?

It is the big picture that ultimately gives the staff a reason to stay with you and pour their efforts into what you are building. Therefore, you must know what that big picture is and buy into it wholeheartedly as you communicate it with passion and verve to your team.

If you can do this regularly and powerfully, you will establish a firm foundation from which the excellence of your team can rise.